DJI drones are being used to map the Amazon rainforest. With special sensors, they are able to “sniff” the place and identify illegal activities. They act as “flying noses” as pointed out by DJI in this video titled Drones For Good – The Amazon Rainforest.
Behind this work is Dr. Scot T. Martin, professor of environmental science at Harvard in collaboration with Amazonas State University and DJI itself. The world’s largest drone manufacturer provides technical assistance to researchers.
To get the job done accurately, the team responsible for studying and keeping an eye on the drones are using the M600, DJI’s most powerful aircraft. The company says that in the past airplanes and hot air balloons were used for observations, which proved to be inefficient.
Not even satellites have been able to do the job with excellence, as they are made to capture images at a distance. Airplanes and balloons, on the other hand, may approach research targets, but they can’t get as close and accurate as drones do.
With drones it is possible to do daily scheduled scans, that is, autonomously we can see what is happening in the region. According to DJI, a new dimension has been opened to study forest and forest emissions. The company says the amount of information we can discover and learn about the region is truly unlimited, all thanks to sensors.
Amazon has illegal deforestation and is important for global health. The research group says that as plants suffer from stress from these environmental changes, their emissions also change, and their study is critical. Collecting this data helps scientists create an early warning system. This will prevent major disasters in advance.
And it’s not just in the Amazon that drones are making a scientific presence, studies of whales and sharks are also being carried out with the help of aircraft and in a very revealing way.
